Sunday, Jan 28, 2024 12:15 [IST]
Last Update: Sunday, Jan 28, 2024 06:39 [IST]
GANGTOK,: The Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) along with tourism stakeholders held a coordination meeting with a delegation of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchok, Nepal here on Saturday.
Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality Mayor Norbu Sherpa and deputy Mayor Dichen Sherpa led the Nepal delegation consisting of 23 members.
Addressing the meeting, Mayor Norbu Sherpa shared the Nepal delegation’s happiness to interact with the tourism stakeholders of Sikkim for the development of tourism in Bhotekoshi municipality area. Sikkim, despite being a small State, holds immense tourism potential and we feel that Sikkim’s natural beauty is its main USP, he added.
Sikkim is a leading tourism destination and there are many things we can learn here and implement them in our region so that our people and municipality area can also prosper in tourism field, said Sherpa.
He thanked the TAAS and tourism stakeholders of Sikkim for giving the opportunity to interact with them.
Speaking on the occasion, STDC chairman Lukendra Rasaily expressed that the coordination meeting with the Nepal delegation would build cordial relationships and create tourism business opportunities both for Sikkim and Nepal. Today’s coordination meeting is important as we can share and learn, and we are pleased to host the Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality delegation and share our knowledge on tourism, he mentioned.
In these three months (November 2023 to January 2024), around 7500 tourists from Nepal came to visit Sikkim which is a great boost for our tourism, shared Rasaily. He added that the State government is supportive with respect to the tourism industry. Sikkim is one of the leading tourism destinations in the world and it happened due to the visionary leadership of Chief Minister PS Golay, he told the Nepal delegation.
Under our Chief Minister’s leadership, flight connectivity to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan is being planned from Pakyong airport which we feel will further boost tourism, said Rasaily. Similarly, the Chewabhanjyang road connectivity from West Sikkim with Eastern Nepal would be another milestone in terms of tourism growth, he said.
PHE chairman Pema Wangchuk Sherpa added that the coordination meet would yield productive results for tourism development in Sikkim and Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality.
Earlier, the meet was addressed by TAAS general secretary Ramesh Basnet followed by an interactive session among the Nepal delegates and Sikkim tourism stakeholders including representatives of Guides Association of Sikkim and Denzong Sherpa Association.
Tourism joint director (adventure cell) Kazi Sherpa gave a presentation on guides and adventure tourism in Sikkim to the Nepal delegation.
